A severe weather warning has been issued in Queensland, Australia, for dangerous flash flooding as a tropical low storm system approaches the state’s northeast coast. The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) has warned of intense rainfall expected along a 350-km stretch of coast in Queensland’s tropical far north from Friday morning. This could result in life-threatening flash flooding in areas like Cairns, Port Douglas, and Cooktown, with a combined population of around 255,000 people.
The BoM forecasts suggest six-hourly rainfall totals of up to 240 millimeters (mm) in the region, with 24-hourly falls potentially reaching 300 mm. Initially, there was a 45% chance of the tropical low developing into a cyclone, but this probability has now been revised down to five percent as of Friday morning. The storm is anticipated to make landfall near Cardwell, with the heaviest rainfall expected further north near Cairns, Port Douglas, and Cooktown.
Earlier on March 2, emergency warnings were issued for life-threatening flash flooding in southeastern Australian states of Victoria and New South Wales (NSW). The BoM had issued severe weather alerts for heavy rainfall across regions in central and northern Victoria and south and southwestern NSW. Residents were cautioned about the possibility of up to 100 mm of rainfall within six hours across a warning area spanning over 650 km from Seymour in central Victoria to Broken Hill in far western NSW.
State Emergency Services in Victoria and NSW have advised against driving through floodwaters and recommended staying away from waterways. Flood watch updates by the BoM for both states indicated that over 20 catchments were likely to be impacted by the heavy rainfall event.
